Consisting of many tiny granules made from steamed and dried durum wheat, couscous has become a…

Method

In a medium-sized pan, heat 1 tbsp of the oil. Season the meat and fry briefly until browned. Remove from the pan and add the remaining oil. Add the onion, garlic and ginger, and fry with a little seasoning. Cook for 5 mins until soft, then add the spice mix, tomato purée, apricots and stock, and return the lamb to the pan. Simmer gently for 25 mins. Serve with warm couscous, mint or coriander leaves, and lemon wedges.

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Comments, questions and tips

This is a great recipe, full of flavour. It can be bulked up with chunks of carrot, added at the same time as the onion. A teaspoon of honey also really adds to a flavourful sweetness.

aeshackleton

8th May, 2017

5.05

This was absolutely gorgeous. I used leftover roast lamb and let it simmer for a good hour on a very low heat. Don't scrimp on the ras el hanout, or the mint!

leels

20th Nov, 2016

5.05

I make this again and again. It's my favourite autumn/winter dish. Like others, I prepare it on the hob, then transfer to the oven to cook slowly, for a really tender result.
Ras el hanout blends vary hugely. I used to use the finest blend from Tesco, which has now been discontinued. I've been checking the ingredients lists on other blends, and found that the Asda one in a small plastic pot, is the same. I highly recommend it for a really rich spice blend. The dried rose petals in it really add fragrance and authenticity.

rachel_k

1st Apr, 2016

5.05

I loved this, as did my boyfriend - he was very impressed! I make it in a casserole dish and let it simmer very slowly for at least an hour, as opposed to the 25 minutes stated, to make it really tender. The second time I made it I couldn't get a hold of lamb so made it with beef instead - still very, very nice. I usually have it with couscous and flatbread or pitta.

Cider Dave

26th Feb, 2016

Didn't have any ras-el-hanout or apricots so substituted half a jar of Marmite and some rancid pork scratchings I found under the sofa.
Can't say I was overly impressed with the dish and I won't be making it again.

CarrieAnn07

25th Nov, 2015

5.05

We enjoyed this 'stew', I would make it again, but with a few alterations. The res-el-hanout I bought already included some ginger, so I would cut the amount of fresh ginger or reduce the amount of res-el-hanout. I also added a Knorr lamb cube and cooked it on a low setting in the oven for a couple of hours. It was very spicy and would benefit from some cooling yoghurt.

jodi118

29th May, 2015

3.8

really tasty dish, lots of flavour and the apricot gives it a nice sweetness, the only thing I changed was I cooked on hob to brown meat and onions etc, then moved into the oven for just under 2 hours, the lamb was so tender...beautiful!!!

Tinkle

22nd Feb, 2015

5.05

Love this I make with cooked leftover leg of lamb

zoesmum025

15th Jan, 2015

5.05

This is gorgeous. The only thing I added was an onion. Purely force of habit! Oh, and more apricots simply because they're my fave dried fruit. I found the ingredients for the ras el hanout online as the chances of getting it ready made in rural ROI are almost nil!

leels

29th Dec, 2014

5.05

This is absolutely the best Moroccan style dish I have ever made. Absolutely delicious, with the most warming and complex flavours coming from the Ras el hanout. I made it on the hob in a cast iron casserole (with a few extra apricots, as I love them), but then put it into the oven to cook for longer and more slowly. It needed a bit of topping up with liquid, but it made the lamb really tender, as well as giving the spice more time to infuse the dish. I've made it many times now...definitely a five star recipe.

Pages

Do you need to reduce the amount of liquid to cook this in slow cooker?
Thanks

goodfoodteam

11th Apr, 2014

Yes, we'd suggest reducing the liquid by 1/3 if cooking in a slow cooker.

charlie49

21st Feb, 2016

For those unable to find the Ras El Hanout, I found it in our local Waitrose. They do their own version as well as selling it in the Bart Blends spice/herb section. I bought the Bart version, the recipe was absolutely delicious, can recommend to those who like their food spicy. I quadrupled the quantities (except the liquid) using l kilo of lamb, freezing the leftovers for another day.

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